Chile

Chile to Implement Carbon Tax Complimenting the Latin American Trend of Environmental Reform

By Danielle Scalise
October 13, 2016

On September 26th, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed into law a new environmental tax on carbon emissions, making Chile the first South American country to enact such legislation. The tax is targeting the country’s power sector, which is dominated by nearly 80 percent by fossil fuels.1 It is aimed at thermal plants with installed capacities of 50 megawatts or more. Plants of this size will be charged USD $5 per ton of CO2 released, exempting smaller plants and those fueled by biomass.1

La Marea Rosada Latinoamericana: entre Democracia y Desarrollismo

By Sergio Villalobos-Ruminott
October 12, 2016

La llamada Marea Rosada se refiere al giro dado por varios gobiernos latinoamericanos desde la década de 1990, hacia políticas públicas y sociales opuestas a la orientación neoliberal que caracterizó, en general, al continente en las décadas previas. Estas nuevas políticas también se distancian de los viejos y desgastados ideales del partisanismo revolucionario, intentando una crítica del neoliberalismo que no se reduce a una ruptura radical (e imposible) con su lógica de acumulación, sino que intenta adaptarse a él y dotarlo de un rostro más humano.

Michelle Bachelet Takes a Stand for Women's Rights in Chile

By Sophia Winston
October 12, 2016

After three years of the heading the organization, UN Women, which strives for international gender equality and empowerment of women, Michelle Bachelet returned to her seat as president of Chile. This is her second term in office and she is focusing especially hard on equality for women. As the leader of UN Women, Bachelet and other diplomats, worked on the 58th session of the Commission of the Status of Women to stake out five of the most important women’s equality agreements to improve on in international law.

30 Years of Silence: Torture Allegations in Brazil

By Sophia Winston
October 12, 2016

Similar to various other Latin American countries, Brazil suffered through a right-wing military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985.1 The aim of this dictatorship was to eliminate any and all threats of communist uprising within the country. This is similar to Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, but, unlike such countries, Brazil has only now acknowledged the torture and other atrocities committed during the 21-year dictatorship.

Policing Protest in Argentina and Chile

By Michelle Bonner
October 11, 2016

Despite the return of electoral democracy to most of Latin America in the 1980s and early 1990s, thousands of protesters continue to be arbitrarily arrested, injured, or even killed by police.1 At the most extreme, dramatic events result in many people losing their lives to police violence. For example, during the December 2001 economic and political crisis in Argentina, 39 protesters were killed. Yet such repressive protest policing is not limited to dramatic and destabilizing events.

Women, Machismo, and Politics in Latin America

By Susan Wiedel
October 5, 2016

In her first presidential speech in 2005, Michelle Bachelet remarked, “Who would have said…15 years ago that a woman would be elected president?”1 Yet many countries, such as the United States, have not been able to celebrate the election of a woman as head-of-state. Worldwide, representation of women in politics remains low: as of January 2015, only 22 percent of all national legislators were women.

Beyond the Olympics: A Brief Look at the South American Games

By Connor Weber
October 5, 2016

Much attention has been given to the fact that both the World Cup and Olympics are being held in Brazil and for good reason, they showcase the hosting country on the international stage.  The sporting events allow the host country, and even the surrounding region to a lesser extent, the ability to put its best foot forward and signal its growth, stability, and good governance.  While these two mega-events receive international attention, they are not the only international sporting events that take place in South America.

Notes on Chilean Women Writers

By Alexandru Lefter
October 5, 2016

Despite Chile’s rich traditions of literary writing, relatively little attention has been paid to women writers and their contribution to the national and the Latin American canon until the past couple of decades in comparison with their male counterparts. In this article I will draw on scholarly, critical, and personal/anecdotal insights to discuss a number of both established and emerging women writers.

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